Medicine Personal Statement Example

In this post, I will be sharing and analyzing my very own personal statement, which got me 4/4 interview invites and acceptances, in the hopes of providing some of you with some motivation and as an example to help give you a sense of direction on how to work on your own personal statement.

I began my first draft in early-July and finally settled on my eight draft which I finished by mid-September, a few days before submitting my UCAS application. Writing my personal statement was a slow and gradual process, one that involved me constantly coming back to it every now and then in order to make edits until I felt completely satisfied. Whilst writing my first draft, I initially referred to my notes from my work and volunteering experiences and made a list of everything I wanted to potentially include. I then filtered through this list and wrote out my main body, followed by the introduction and conclusion a few days later to tie everything together. My first draft ended up being 7000 characters long (‘above the limit’ would be an understatement). I then worked on cutting it down and adding my own changes over the next few months. I also got it reviewed by my teachers and parents, incorporating some of their advice until I was happy with the final outcome.

However, I would like to clarify that my personal statement is in no way ‘perfect’, such a thing as a perfect personal statement does not exist! Each personal statement is unique to the individual writing it and there is certainly no fixed format or a one-size-fits-all approach to it.

Please also note that UCAS takes plagiarism very seriously and has a very strict checking system so do not copy and paste anything from any personal statement examples you might read online as it can greatly pose as a risk to your application. This post is only meant to serve as an example for some inspiration.

My ambition to become a doctor is not a spontaneous career choice, but is based on thorough research and understanding of the profession. I still vividly remember the incident a few years ago that ignited my interest towards the field. I recall the initial panic as we rushed my grandfather, who had suffered a hemorrhagic stroke, to the hospital. He did survive the tragic eventuality, but not without a partial paralysis, in spite of surgery and months of rehabilitation by physiotherapists. This adversity made me see medicine as a life or death conundrum from very close quarters. I gained first-hand experience of observing how a neurosurgeon works to save lives, engulfing me with tremendous respect for the doctor, who still serves as a constant source of support to my family.

I began my PS by very clearly stating that a career Medicine is something I had given a lot of thought and research to before making a final decision, this first line served as a short introduction to everything I would thereafter be stating to prove my commitment and realistic understanding of the profession, as well as how I was a suitable candidate. I then moved on to the main element of my introduction which happened to be a personal life experience. Some of you might have heard that it is cliché or not a good idea to write about a family or personal experience on your personal statement but I can assure you that this definitely isn’t true as long as you reflect on it the right way. For example, in my case I portrayed how the personal experience got me seeing and appreciating the significance of the medical profession and steered my curiosity towards it. The story-telling approach of my introduction is something that could potentially intrigue the reader into continuing.

To further explore my curiosity, I began reading around the subject and my interest took me to my first doctor shadowing experience with a physiotherapist in India. I imbibed immense insight into the practical applications of medicine, learnt the importance of a multidisciplinary team and observed the working of different machinery, such as Interferential Therapy and Shortwave Diathermy, used for treatment. Thereafter, I shadowed a neurologist for two weeks at a government hospital in the UAE and gained an insider’s outlook on the working of the local healthcare system. The opportunity to go on ward rounds with doctors was truly insightful since I was able to interact with patients suffering from various conditions such as multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and neuralgia and gained understanding of their hardships from their perspectives, enabling me to establish an empathetic bond with them. Upon my visit to the medical lab, I observed an MRI report of a patient suffering from Parkinson’s disease. The doctor pointed out the frontal lobe and lacunar infarctions in the basal ganglia, leading to her diagnosis, following which I was driven to carry out an investigatory project on the disease in order to enhance my learning. Shadowing under two doctors in two different countries was a wonderful experience that provided me with broadened knowledge about the medical world, a realistic perception of hospital life and helped enhance my communication skills.

Coming to the main body of my personal statement, I went on to explain the steps I took to explore my interest towards the field, hence portraying that I wanted to make an informed decision, and gave an explanation of my doctor shadowing and work experience. This was the most elaborate element of my personal statement as these experiences were my closest insights into the life of medical professionals and therefore it was extremely important to dwell on the details correctly. If you happen to have done work experience for a longer amount of time, you should definitely mention the duration as that would show your commitment towards the cause and providing care to individuals. While describing my experiences, I made sure to use the correct technical terms and if you are unsure of a scientific term, it is best not to include it as the last thing you want to do is include something that is incorrect on your personal statement, potentially making it seem like you have poor observational skills. I also made sure to reflect on what I observed, felt and learnt rather than just stating facts. Towards the end of the paragraph, I also wrote about the investigatory project that I voluntarily undertook, further showing my genuine enthusiasm for the subject and if you have ever taken part in any activity that is a clear portrayal of your interest you must certainly include it in your personal statement. I realize that being an international applicant, I was able to shadow in hospitals in two different countries and notice the differences in the healthcare systems but the diversity in the work experience you have done hardly matters. As I say when it comes to writing your personal statement, it’s always about quality over quantity and the duration of your work experience alongside with the correct reflection on it plays a far more vital role.

I have always been keen on providing help and care to people. Having worked with various volunteering and healthcare organizations, I have participated in clean-up drives, awareness programmes and held multiple fundraising events as president of the Operation Smile Club at my school, causing the realization that I wish to pursue a path in life which helps me make a genuine impact in society.

I further wrote about my volunteering initiatives. Although I did not individually elaborate on them, keeping in mind the character count, I made a note of how these experiences collectively confirmed my decision to opt for the medical profession as it is understood as being something that would help me make a genuine impact in society.

For as long as I can remember, I have had an ardent passion towards science. Biology, in particular, is one of my strongest subjects, never failing to pique my interest. Apart from coursework, I have conducted various in-depth projects on topics such as infertility and genetic disorders to expand my comprehension of the subject. Achievement of top ranks in various Math and Science Olympiads has further assisted in developing my critical thinking skills.

In this segment of my personal statement, I include mentions of my academic interests and merits. I did not state my grades as I knew they would be present elsewhere on my UCAS applications and therefore that would simply be a waste of characters. Instead, I wrote about my other achievements to express that I was suitable for the academic vigor of the medical course, indirectly also expressing my passion for my subjects.

Besides my academic merits, being Student Council President at my school and active participation in TEDx events and MUN conferences, as well as co-curricular activities such as swimming and public speaking have helped me develop the transferrable skills of teamwork, leadership, commitment and time management.

I knew that it was important for me to state my hobbies and outside interests as well as this shows that you are a well-rounded student and medical schools pay heed to that aspect of your personality as well. Due to the challenging nature of the course, it is vital for one to indulge in other activities and know how to maintain balance as that is a great method to deal with stress and avoid burn-out. It also shows that you could be a valuable addition to the university’s societies and extra-curricular teams. Additionally, I made a mention of the transferable skills to medicine that I had gained from each of my hobbies and outside interests as you must always state how a particular element of your personal statement could be relevant to medicine, otherwise it is best to leave it out and can be a waste of lines because it would not be adding anything to your PS.

Medicine is a highly demanding career in all aspects, but I know that I possess the diligence and determination to withstand any difficulties and become a competent doctor. I understand that my interests will need a robust platform and that I see from being able to gain entry into a prestigious institution in the United Kingdom, imparting knowledge that would surely help me fulfill my desire to make a meaningful impact in the medical field. I truly hope that my academic and personal skills, in addition to my genuine interest in medicine, would convert my dreams into reality.

Finally, I wrapped up my conclusion briefly explaining that I believe that I possess the required skills and qualities to become a suitable member of the medical course and profession. Showing that I have made an informed and thorough decision, I not only mention my understanding of the possible challenges of the career, but also mention that I have the determination and skill set to overcome them. Being an international applicant, another important element to include in my personal statement was ‘Why UK?’ and I included my reasons for deciding on the prestigious medical institutions in the United Kingdom towards the end of my PS. I was also aware that the last line was just as important as the first line and I decided on something personalized that truly portrayed my genuine passion for medicine, summing up my entire personal statement.